Demon in the Bottle (Short film, 2023)

Demon in the Bottle follows a young woman called Annice, who is trying to give up drinking. She enters a bar trying to resist the urge to buy another drink.

She is almost able to stop herself, but all hope of this goes out the window when a figure at the end of the bar buys her a drink. Shadow and smoke hide the face of the mysterious figure and his presence creates a sinister atmosphere. The two seem to share a strange connection and the figure slowly convinces Annice to start drinking. We soon discover that the figure is no man but a manifestation of her addiction, representing a never ending cycle of temptation: her literal inner demon. 

Every frame of the film is hand painted then animated digitally; a process which took 6 months of hard work to complete. It was created using acrylic paint and a basic selection of paintbrushes. Each painting was planned on a storyboard, working out in advance the mechanics of each of the movements seen on screen. 

The aim was to produce a haunting aesthetic which would resonate with the audience. The style was partly inspired by the dark and surreal style of Salvador Dali. It was also influenced by ‘Loving Vincent’ where every frame is a painting which tells a story in its own right.